So My Grandma’s a Lesbian

So My Grandma’s a Lesbian impresses me. But not in a good way. It’s easily recognizable as a comedy despite having few moments recognizable as actual jokes.

Despite the title, the lead character of the film is not the lesbian Grandma. Instead, a heterosexual woman named Eva takes the lead. Eva is engaged to a rich Scottish man with a right-wing, homophobic family. When Eva makes a trip to see her Grandmother, Sofia, she discovers that Sofia wants to marry her partner, Celia. Eva feels it necessary to stop this happening for her own ends. As the film progresses, more and more wacky extended family members show up, often with their own reasons why Sofia and Celia shouldn’t marry. These include Jorge, a relative of Celia’s who Eva develops feelings for; the town priest, Bienvenido; Eva’s mentally disabled cousin, Perla; and a random middle eastern couple whose relation I’m still unclear of.

It’s hard to pinpoint a lot of actual jokes or punchlines In So My Grandma’s a Lesbian. This is my main issue with the film. It’s not just that it’s a comedy with unfunny jokes. It’s a comedy where there aren’t often jokes. The characters are more over the top than you’d see in reality and the situation potentially ridiculous but there are rarely actual punchlines. The film just relies on some inherent wackiness which feels aimless. What’s the joke in Jorge explaining his work with gorillas by imitating a gorilla in a public setting? Just that his over the top reaction breaks social protocol, I guess. That’s most of the “jokes,” really. Someone acts somewhat over the top in a social setting and that’s our punchline.

Some of the jokes are also a bit offensive. Honestly, the funniest part of the movie for me was this Spanish movie’s depiction of Scottish people. It veers right into stereotype. They’re always wearing kilts but also, not even accurate kilts. Just plaid skirts. The cast members tasked with doing Scottish accents are also all over the map with their ability to pull this off. And then there’s Perla. Perla has an unspecified mental disability. She’s also played by a beautiful actress who they’ve taken pains to look unattractive. There’s apparently comedy to be found here too. But I didn’t find it.

What annoyed me most about the film is the lack of focus on the titular lesbian Grandma. I can accept that this is an ensemble comedy. But even within this ensemble narrative, I’m frustrated by how little attention and Celia and Sofia are given. Much as various characters learn a lesson by the end of the movie, I don’t like the focus on numerous heterosexuals trying to stop some senior citizens getting married because it in some way affects their life. I don’t care about these straight people’s opinions! I’m here to see old lady lesbians! Regrettably, I was not consulted on this film. So, straight people opinions are by far the focus of the film.

So My Grandma’s a Lesbian strikes so many negative cords for me. It’s a comedy without jokes. It’s a movie about gay marriage where the feelings of straights are the priority. It also treats its topic of sexuality with such kid gloves it feels immediately dated and borderline patronizing. This movie has already aged badly. And even without the offensive or dated aspects, it’s still a lacklustre comedy.

Overall rating: 3.3/10

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